Humidifier for internal-combustion engines



March 2,1926. 1,575,402

J. E. wooDwARD `HUMIDIFIER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Sept. 13. 1922 Figtl.. i

Figli A Trama-eff Patented Mar. 2, 1926.

UNITED ofF'FrcE.

.Tintin-.s woonvvnnn, or 'soitriin'vrtiln ivtnssiionusnriis,,Assistme To Hanni A,

HUMIDrInR non INTENAL-cormusrron ENGINES Application inea september 13, 19221 A sriarNo. 588,002.

within the parts thereof. Incidentally the invention provides for improving thecirculation ot' Water through the water-cooled parts of vthe engine and the radiator by maintaining a' partial vacuum in the latter.

One of the objects'ot the invent-ion is to provide a practical device which may be readily applied to Well-known types of popular motor vehicles, and which will enable the operator to, at will, increase the" speed ot the vehicle without increasing the amount ot fuel, by ensuringthe admissionl of a regulatable-amount ot vapor tolthe carbureter toinix with the tuehsuch vapor being conveniently obtained Jfrom theradiator.

Another object is to `provide a valve structure for controlling the passage oiL the vapor, the structure being such that the valve is held seated by the suction ofl the engine and close seating of thevalve is not diminished by wear of the valvea-nd seat. ln this aspect the invention is a continuation in part of my application 477,261, tiled June is, 1921.

Another object is to provide, ina passage- Way for vapor to an internal combustion engine, a pair ot valves bothoi which control the passageway, connections ywhereby one of the valves will be actuated simultaneously with the throttle 'control o1- the engine, the other valve being ree'tor manual actuation. l.

With the abov'eand? other objects in View, my' invention lconsists in the construction and combination of parts substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

. Of the accompanying;v drawings: y Figure l conventionally illustrates' suiiicient' parts of a motor vehicle, including my improved attachments ,and connections, to enable the invention to be understood. Figure 2` represents a vertical section through the; valve Y mechanism,

Figure 3; represents, in perspective, the different parts shown in Figure 2, f

Figure A: is` .a `detail view" of the spring connection .betweenthe throttle rod and a rod which actuatesone of the valves.

Similar reterence` characters indicate simi-lar parts ,in allot the views` The radiator `1.2,.dash board 13, engine or s motor `14, intake manifoldl, and carbureter 16 may be ot anywell-lrnownconstruction. lVhileFigure l illustrates the mechanism as installed in a land vehicle, it is to be understood that l `do notlimit myself thereto.

My invention ,maybeem'ployed in connection with the engine ot a motor boat or aeroplane.V f j l .in gas-tight connection with the manifold .l5 is thenpple 20 ot the `lower `section, or y member `21 oiV the` valve casing to `which the upper"casingv section or member 22 is suitably ccnnected as by screws passing through lflanges of the` two sections; The

nipple 270,-1'besid'es providing for the passage through ,it of vapor as hereinafter described, serves,in `tlieaembodnnent of the invention illustrated, to supportv the entire controlling device in positionV for uSe'Vsaid device requiring no alteration'in the motoror any other means tor supporting it.

The upper section 22 has a nipple Q4 which connected by a pipe 25 with the interior ot the radiator l2 above the level oi' the water therein. Said section l2:2 also has,

Vintegral with it or rigidly secured thereto, .an ari-i126 having an eye QT tor a purpose presently described.

Supportedby an internal shoulderQS or'` the casing member 21 is a removable dia'- phragm or valve seat29 having its upper sur-tace recessed and having two opposite arc-shaped slots 30, andy a `hole 31 near kone .edge fitting on' a pin 32 rising'l from the inem- .ber 2l, said pinandhole being provided to prevent the valve seat 29 vfrom rotating when site arc-shaped slots SLL adapted toregister with the slots 30, of the seat 29, and having an edge recess 35 the ends of which coact with the pin 32 in limiting rotary movements of the kvalve to open and closed posi.- tions. Extending down from lthe center of the disk valve 33, through a central hole in the seat 29, is a short bifurcated stem 3,3 which is engaged by the tongue or lip of an actuating stem 38 which extends throuoh the bottom of the member 2l and has an arm 39 to enable the said lower valve 33 to be actuated as hereinafter described.

Above thevalve 33 is `a diaphragm or valve seat i9 having two' opposite' arcshaped slots Ll-land a hole 42 which latter fits the fixed pin 32, thereby preventing the said seat from rotating while permitting it tomove downto compensate for wear hereinafter explained. vThe -upper surface of the valve seat et() is recessed and in said recess is seated a disk valve 4:3having two opposite arc-shaped sletsll adapted to reg-- ister with the slots 4l ofthe seat Ll-O and having an edge recess flf the ends of which coact with the upper end of theflixed pin 32 in limiting rotary movements ofsaid valve to open and closed positions. Extending up from the center of the valve 43 lis a short bifurcated stem 4G which is engaged by the tongue or lip 47 of an actuating stem 48 which extends through the top of the casing member 22 and has an arm 49 to enable the upper valve 4:3 to be actuated Aas hereinafter described.

A spring 50, coiled around the stem members 46, 47, exerts a downward pressure to hold the upper valve on its kseat and in proper surface contact therewith. An important feature of my invention is that the valves and valve seats are flat.r vAlso it will be noticed that the two valves are duplicates' in form and that the twol valve seats are duplicates in form. Therefore considerable economy in productionis effected. p

As indicatedv in Figure 2, the lower seat 29 is supported by the internal shoulder 2S of the casing, and the vupper seat 40 is sup-- ported by the marginal rim of said lower seat within which the lower valve 33 is mounted to oscillate on the seat 29. Therefore there can be no such binding pressure on the valve 33 between the two seats as to interfere with the oscillating movements thereof. rlhe one fixed pin 32 functions for both valves and both valve seats, since it prevents any rotative movements of the seats and defines the limits of rotative movements of the valves.

The spring 50 is not exactly essential because the suction strokes of the engine always tend -to hold the flatvalves and seats in tight superposed relationship; As wear in use occurs, the sliding connection between the tongue l? and the recess inthe "short stem 46 permits compensating downward movement of the upper valve without disturbing the actuating connection therefor. The use of the device ensures permanency of tight relationship between the valves and their seats so that there can be no leakage, because any wear resulting from such use can do no more than enhance the smoothness of the contacting surfaces.

The arm 4:9 of the stem of the upper valve is connected with a knob or button 5l mounted in suitable accessible position, as on the dash board 13. Said connection is conveniently made by a wire rod 52 leading through and guided by a tube 53 the lower end of which is secured in the eye 27 of the fixed arm 26. The connection is such that by pushing or pulling the knob 5l, the upper valve maybe c'losed'or may be opened to permit the passage of more or less vapor from the radiator according to the extent of movement of the arc slots sf-l of the valve relatively to the are slots in the non-rotary-valve seat 4:0.f v

Thearm 39 of the stem ofthe lower valve 33, in thev particular arrangement illustrated, is connected by a rod 5l to the conventional throttle rod or accelerator rod which is connected at one end to the arm 56 of the butterfly or throttle valve, and at the other end is connected to an arm of .a rock shaft 58 parallel with the steering post 59 and having the usual throttle control lever 60 adjacent to the steering wheel. As hereinafter described, the, rod 55, in practice, moves longitudinally to a greater extent, at times, than the rod 5d. Hence the connection between the two is a yielding one. This is effected 'by' a spring 6l interposed under some compression between a stop 62 on the rod 54 and a block 63 slidable on the rod 5a and secured to rod 55.V To limit the movement of the block -63 inone direction onthe rod'l, a stop- (la is secured to the rod In operation, assuming that the engine is warm so as to cause the presence of vapor mixed with the atmosphere in the radiator,- the upper valve lll may be opened without permitting the passage of any vapor through lthe casing 2l, 22, so long the lower valve 33 is left closed. This is because all of the arc-shaped slots in the valves and valve seats must register more or less A' but the upper valve is closed, a

pull of the knob 5l in the dash board results in inthat the lower valve'is open more or less,

stautly admitting vapor to the manifold and effecting a marked increase in speed or power.

By means of the throttle control the driver is able to Ve'llect injection ot vapor into the manifold in quantities to suit his requirements as to speed. In other words, it he leaves the upper' valve open, then variations in the throttle control will vary the quantity of both gas and vapor without varying the proportions of the mixture.

TWhen the throttle is closed to idling position, the lower valve is necessarily closed owing to its connection with the throttle rod described. Then, if the upper valve happens to be opened, no vapor can pass and consequently there can be no racing ot the engine. The several features of advantage just described are due to the tact both of -the valves control one passageway tor the vapor, one valve beingvconnected vlor simultaneous operation with the throttle, the other being manually actuated.

The reason for the yielding connection between the rods 5%, 55, is that the full amount ot vapor should pass before the throttleV is wide open. the irst movementot -the rod is a throttle-opening direction immediately transmits movement to the rod 54 through the spring (il so as to open the lower valve 33. But when said valve has opened as far as permitted by one end ot, `its edge recess 35 contacting with the stop pin 32, so that said valve is wide open, the spring 61 will permit the rod 55 to continue moving until the throttle is wide open, so as to supply more gas without moving the lower valve. This is ,under the assumption that the upper valve has been opened.V Then a partial movement of the throttle control lever GO gives both gas and vapor, and a further movement of said lever increases the supply ot gas, but no more vapor, because the valves in the casing can open no wider.

Reference has been made to the device improving the circulation of the water through the water-cooled parts of the engine and the adiatoiz This is due to the tact that when the engine is running and the valves in the casing are open, the suctien strokes ot the engine produce a partial vacuum in the radiator which is so nearly closed to the .itmosphere that the reduced pressure above the level ot' the water in the radiator tends to draw the water entering the upper portion thereof, and which is lVith the structure illustrated, y

the warmest,l sofas to aid the natural tendency of the water to circulate in that direcing and having ports all ot which must y register to permit the passage ot vapor, means for actuating one ot said valves in synchronism with the throttle control oi' an internal combustion engine, and means for manually actuating the other valve.

2. The combination with an internal conibustion engine, ot a passageway Jfor vapor leading to the intake thereof, a casingv interposed in said passageway, a pair of fiat valves and cooperating flat valve seats superimposed upon each other in said casing and having ports all of which must register to permit the passage of vapor, means 'for manually actuating one of said valves, and connections between the throttle control ot the engine and the other valve whereby variations in the throttle control will vary the quantity of both gas and vapor without varying the proportions oli' the mixture.

3. A device of the character described, comprsing a passageway tor vapor, a casing interposed in said passageway, a pair ot valve seats having recessed upper surfaces mounted in the casing, a valve mounted in the recess of each ot said seats, means for actuating Vone of said valves in synchronism with the throttle control of an internal combustion engine, and ymeans 'for manually actuating the other valve.

4:. A device of the character described, comprising a passageway t'or vapor, a casing interposedin said passageway and having a Xed pin, a pair of ported ,valve seats mounted inthe casing and engaged with said pin, a pair of ported valves mounted on the valve seats and having edge recesses cooperating with said fixed pin to limit rotary movements ofthe valves, means ,tor actuating one of the valves in synchronism with the throttle control ot an internal combustion engine, and means for. manually actuating the other valve.

In testimony whereof I have allixed my signature.

JAMES E. IVOODWARD. 

